MCC wins Miss-Lou title, Allen gets 400th win

By Jamie Wachter / Sports Editor
The Meridian Star


MERIDIAN — It took longer than he wanted, but Hilary Allen's milestone win came at an ideal time Friday.

Meridian Community College rallied from a halftime hole in the championship game of the Miss-Lou Conference women's tournament at Graham Gymnasium, downing Baton Rouge 73-69 and handing Allen his 400th win.

"What a heck of a night to do that on, especially here," Allen said as MCC now prepares for Tuesday's NJCAA Region 23 opener against Gulf Coast. "I knew coming into the year that it was going to take 25 to get to 400, and I was kind of hoping it would be before the tournament, but it wasn't.

"A lot of tribute to a lot of players over the years. I've been coaching since 1984 and have had a lot of players during that time, but I've got a good group this year. They work hard and play hard for me."

Getting that milestone win against the Bears wasn't easy though. Baton Rouge used a 10-0 run midway through the first half to take a 36-29 lead on a Rhondalon Popularis bucket with 3:46 left until the break. After the Eagles (25-5) tied it on a Chasity Kearny three-point play two minutes later, the Bears closed the half on a 5-0 run. BRCC wouldn't relinquish that lead until six minutes were left in the game.

"I think it's a mindset for the whole: we just never give up," Allen said. "We never give up during conditioning. We never give up during preseason practice. And we've had games this year where we've been behind, but we never give up.

"That's something I won't let the kids do, so when it comes time to win a ballgame late we can do that, and we did here tonight."

A quick pair of Kia Morris baskets and two Kearney free throws pulled MCC within 43-42 early in the second half, but Baton Rouge answered. The Bears continued to respond every time the Eagles pulled within a bucket.

However, after Chassity Smith's 3-pointer gave BRCC a 56-50 lead with 11:34 to go, the Eagles went on a 10-2 run to grab their first lead of the half. Norianna Haynes, a former Northeast Lauderdale star, sparked the run with a bucket to open it and a 3 to bring the Eagles within one. Then after sophomore point guard Bianca Powell tied it by hitting one of two free throws, Kearney hit two to put MCC up 60-58. The freshman post had 25 points and 13 rebounds to lead MCC and earn tournament MVP honors

"Chasity has played really well down the stretch," Allen said. "No doubt about it. A double-double with a lot of points, but she's also been getting a lot of offensive rebounds, and some big defensive rebounds.

"She had another big time (game) tonight."

The Eagles would stretch the lead to 64-59 on two more Kearney free throws with 5:10 left, but BRCC wasn't done. The Bears would tie it on a Popularis 3 with three minutes left. The Bears would knot it two more times before MCC pulled away in the final two minutes. Deanna Bolton gave MCC the lead for good with two free throws at the 1:22 mark, and then Arnissa Galloway scored on a putback with 13 seconds left to seal it.

Galloway finished with eight points and seven rebounds, while Powell added nine points and Haynes finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Baton Rouge, which fell to 14-11, was led by Dominque Shelmire's 20 points and seven rebounds, Popularis' 13 and Smith's 12